***FINAL FEW HOURS - LET'S GO FOR FINAL STRETCH GOAL!***

Thank you all so much for making this project a reality within just 7 days of launch. It shows that there is still so much love for the Commodore Amiga! There are just a few days left now to secure your copy of the Special Edition version of this project!

You have told us you want us to fill up the Bonus Disc / Download with content so that is exactly what we intend to do. Currently by hitting our goals we are creating a massive 2 and a half hours of Amiga content along with a unique collectable book for physical (DVD / Blu-ray) backers! Now let's push on to get more content in these last few days!

Special Edition Stretch Goals!

LAST MINUTE SPECIAL OFFER ON 'SIGNED' DEVELOPER POSTCARDS!

The below developer postcards are unique, rare and signed by Amiga Legends and never, ever to be repeated. Therefore as we are really pushing to get those stretch goals we are pleased to announce the last minute special offer listed below the postcards picture.

Exclusive 'Signed' Developer Postcards!

Developer 'Signed' A6 POSTCARDS and A2 POSTERS!
Signed and unsigned postcard collection sets. These consists of a series of unique, high quality, specially created A6 postcard sets featuring game artwork specific to a certain developer or company. Very much by popular demand this perk is back one final time for those that missed it the first time. Backers have the option of pledging for as many sets as they wish (signed or unsigned).

The cost is £10 per set unsigned, or £40 per set signed. They are available at any pledge level but you must increase your pledge level accordingly and you must send a message (not post a comment please) to us stating which set or sets you have opted for so we both have a record of this.

*****POSTCARD SPECIAL OFFER!*****

If you want all the 13 sets of signed Postcards (see above image) then you can take every set for just £245, therefore saving £275! just raise your pledge by £245 (or if you already taken some cards then the appropriate amount to bring it to £245) to claim the full set!

Or if you want all the unsigned Postcards (13 sets) just raise your pledge by £95 (or if you already taken some cards then the appropriate amount to bring it to £95) saves you £35!

A2 High Quality Glossy Posters

Many of you have asked for posters, we are happy to announce both signed and unsigned A2 glossy Posters are now available. Simply choose an image from the postcards pictured above, from left to right (1-4) so for example you would say Team 17 poster number 2 (for the Alien Breed cover).

All Posters are rolled and supplied in tubes! Simply state signed (£35) or unsigned (£20) per poster and raise your pledges accordingly and send us a message that you have done so.

Bullfrog Reunion Signing!

INTRODUCTION

After a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year to fund the main From Bedrooms to Billions: Amiga Years! movie we fell agonisingly short of the stretch goal that would have triggered an additional 2nd Disc / Download of 90 minutes of bonus content loaded with expanded sections, game makings of and much more!

Since then we have had many requests from backers who really want us to create this bonus content to go along with the main film, so we have decided to turn to Kickstarter once more to produce From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! SPECIAL EDITION.

The purpose of this campaign is that while we are still making the main film is to allow anyone new to this project the opportunity of joining us by pledging for either version while also offering original backers the opportunity of upgrading their current versions by supporting us to create a 2-Disc / DownloadSPECIAL EDITION at the same time.

It is much easier for us to plan out and prepare extended sequences and interviews while we’re editing the main film, and of course we need to know how many two-disc boxes to manufacture when we’re mastering the physical versions prior to shipping, therefore now is the best time to see if you will support us in the creation of all this extra content for you.

This SPECIAL EDITION will see the production of an additional 90 minutes of content that will be provided as a digital download to our Special Edition Digital backers and a 2nd disc to our Special Edition DVD and Blu-Ray backers within a special 2-disc case with a cover designed by legendary artist Oliver Frey!

So far we have completed many interviews which have provided us with so much extra material that it would be fantastic to be able to edit up and release this content for you all to enjoy.

If you support us in the making of this extra content the funds will only be going into the creation of at least 90 mins of bonus content and any extra funds will be used to further expand and enhance that bonus content. No funds here will be going into the main film's production as the campaign to fund that was successfully supported earlier this year and will be completed regardless!

NEW TO THE PROJECT?

If you are new to this project then welcome, please take a moment to scroll down and read the section titled ‘THE STORY’ and watch the Original Film Trailer so you know what the main film is all about. You will have the option of pledging for the original single disc / download version of the project that backers pledged for earlier this year, or go for the entire Double Disc / Download Special Edition which this campaign has been specifically launched to create. If you would like the special edition please add the appropriate amount to your pledge as detailed at the bottom of each reward description.

Please also note if you are new to the project and were not one of the original backers then please ignore any pledges marked 'UPGRADE'.

ALREADY BACKED 1ST CAMPAIGN?

Backed our AMIGA YEARS! campaign in back March or pre-ordered since then? There is nothing on this campaign that effects what you already have coming to you after the last campaign. Anything you pledged on previously will be honored regardless of what happens here! The option here is simply to support our new campaign to create this extra material by upgrading your current version (digital or physical) to get the full SPECIAL EDITION version of the film.

If you are already a backer of THE AMIGA YEARS! and would like to upgrade to the SPECIAL EDITION then simply look for the pledges titled 'UPGRADE' and if you wish also select whichever exclusive perk items you like from the list further down this campaign!

CONTENTS OF BONUS DISC / DOWNLOAD?

The short answer is a lot of really excellent material!

We are right now still filming and editing the main film. Already it is clear to us there are many subjects such as, games, music, developers, publishers, magazines and the demoscene, and much more that can be expanded into dedicated bonus sections. At the moment we are planning for these to be a combination of interviews within a section (like an expanded scene from the film) and also dedicated expanded interviews with specific individuals. As we are still editing we will only know further down the line what to allocate move or expand from the film into bonus content, however we already have a wealth of content that could fill almost 2 or even 3 times what a bonus disc / download could hold.

Some examples of this would include;

Creating of the Amiga from those involved including RJ Mical, Dave Needle, Dale Luck and many more,

Ron Gilbert on Monkey Island 1 & 2, Lucasfilm Games and much more,

Eric Chahi on making Another World, his other games and the French games industry,

Trip Hawkins on the US Games Industry, founding Electronic Arts and why they embraced the Amiga,

Paul Cuisset on creating Flashback,Cruise for a Corpse and more insights into the French games industry,

Commodore UK's David Pleasance on selling the A500, the fabled A300 and the demise of Commodore,

Plus we will have so much more insight and game makings of from the likes of Magnetic Fields, Factor 5, Cinemaware, Bullfrog, DMA Design, Sensible Software, DICE, Team 17, The Bitmap Bros and many more!

We also have some rare impromptu reunion footage with Magnetic Fields and Bullfrog, also original Amiga designers Dave Needle and Dale Luck get running the first ever Amiga 1000 production model 001 and fire up the bouncing Ball demo amongst other things.

We also have a rare interview with Amiga Video Toaster / Lightware Creator Tim Jenison founder of NewTek which as well as covering his groundbreaking Amiga developments also looks at how the US in the mid 80’s formed its own scene made up of clubs and get togethers, fuelled by the Fred Fish demo discs and much more!

We would also like to do a far more expanded section on subjects such as the hacking and demo scene, the copy/demo parties and where the whole scene sprang from.

Please note this is only a portion of what is possible but we will be able to make sure only the very best of what we have makes it into this bonus content.

In addition though this campaign is to create 90 minutes of bonus content we can actually fit up to 2 ½ hours onto a DVD / Blu-ray disc so if you want to see us fill the bonus disc / download entirely then that would be a stretch goal should we hit our target along with other elements such as subtitles. The key for us is to get your support to get the bonus material work under way and then get those other elements also secured if you really want us to create as muchAmiga related content as is possible.

THE STORY

From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! is a 90 minute feature documentary that will explore the influence of the Commodore Amiga and how it took video game development, music and publishing to a whole new level and changed the video games industry forever!

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We used Kickstarter to fund our previous film called From Bedrooms to Billions that told the story of the UK video games industry from 1979 to the present day and we are turning to it again now in the 30th anniversary year of the release of the Commodore Amiga in the hope that you will support us once again to produce a film that not only celebrates this fantastic machine, but importantly what it did for the video games industry and development in general due to the many ground breaking games that appeared on it.

We found Kickstarter such a wonderful way to really engage our audience and enjoyed making our backers feel part of our project. We now want to explore From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years!as this was a part of our previous film that for running time reasons we could not explore as deeply as we wanted to and always felt that it would work as a standalone feature documentary.

Therefore it is our intention to film a whole new set of interviews to add to our already extensive list to create a standalone, immersive and highly nostalgic film that really explores why the release of the Commodore Amiga and the era that soon followed was a key period in the evolution of video games.

Though our previous film did focus on the UK perspective we really feel to make this film in the way it should be made it needs to capture that worldwide view, as the games industry at the stage the Amiga really started to influence was very much a global industry. So with this in mind as well as including many new UK contributors we feel it important to feature some of those key US and other Europeandevelopers, musicians, demo sceners, publishers and journalists to cover this incredible era as thoroughly as possible.

In addition From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! represents the era of the 16-bit and higher powered computers so we do intend to reference other important computers as the Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes and others, but it is the Commodore Amiga and the era it represents which will be the key focus and the reason we have titled the film The Amiga Years!

We will start with the origins, design and release of the Commodore Amiga and the impact it had when first released. From then we will look at where the worldwide games industry was just prior to the Amiga’s release in 1985 and then how, once released, the challenges developers faced creating for a 16-bit machine while still in many ways dealing with a thriving market for 8-bit machines.

We will look at elements such as what happened as 8-bit was surpassed? How did the development teams grow and why? Who were the key developers and what were the key game releases? How did the business itself change for developers and publishers and did the issue of piracy truly harm this era?

The Commodore Amiga reset the previous boundaries, the very exploration of what was possible in itself led to an incredibly important and pioneering era where skilled developers were able to strive for new innovations, set free by this incredible technology. We intend to explore what these innovations were and the people behind them.

By the late 1980’s and early 1990’s many countries around the world saw a new wave of developers entering the video games industry, joining many of those original pioneers to work to push video game creation even further. Games from across the world were now readily available everywhere and the UK was suddenly becoming a real global player emerging truly out of its original cottage industry roots of the 8 bit era.

The demo scene was bigger and more influential than ever, having honed their skills in the limited 8-bit days, new machines such as the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST combined with a rapidly expanding and emerging ‘internet’ saw ‘sceners’ thanks to demos among other things playing a major, crucial part in helping to grow the overall interest of programming and video games.
Musicians really began to flourish, significantly boosted by the flexibility and power of machines such as the Commodore Amiga and we will hear how some of the most iconic soundtracks were produced still in the days before CD music was truly available in home video games.

The Magazine Industry for the video games industry saw a whole new breed of Journalist come through, though technically still in its infancy the video games industry did now have a few years under its belt with established genres of game now recognised and understood. These Journalists were fully fledged fans and consumers themselves who had grown up through those early years, seeing firsthand as those early game styles became established. This understanding made them hungrier than anyone to see and report about innovation as they saw it and The Amiga Years! era saw some truly incredible innovations.

Making the original From Bedrooms to Billions allowed us to establish links right through the video games industry both past and present. We always treated our interviewees with respect to ensure we covered as much of their career as possible and From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! will allow us to go out and add so many new names to our interview list in our quest to create films that are as thorough, entertaining, nostalgic, but importantly as balanced as they can possibly be!

LOOK AND FEEL

Please see a short work in progress clip from the new film below!

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Our previous film From Bedrooms to Billions used an ensemble approach to tell the story, there was no voice-over, just the interviewees themselves guiding the viewer through combined with a large number of accompanying visuals such as archive footage, photos, magazines and music. We want to continue this style but in addition branch off a little with some new ‘hands on’ sequences where there are demonstrations of set-ups and techniques to really help add to the overall story but also enjoyment for the viewer.

From a filming perspective we shot in full 1080p and aimed for a very high standard of visual production on From Bedrooms to Billions, as we were conscious of the amount of archive and of course video game footage we would need to use so we aimed for an organic ‘in the lens’ feel for all the filmed interviews, adding no green screen or visual effects other than simple name plates and grading to the shots so that when we did cut to game footage or archive it gave it more impact. For From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! we will insist on the same, everything to look as crisp and slick as possible.

In addition as a huge amount of our work goes on the researching and sourcing of archive video, film and TV footage, photos, magazines and of course games, so we will keep to the same standards we insisted on for From Bedrooms to Billions, we want to produce something memorable and this is 100% our intention with The Amiga Years!

RELEASE

Our plan is to turn the main film around and release it digitally for December 2015 with the physical version and the bonus content to be released in the first quarter of 2016. From Bedrooms to Billions took more time due to the huge amount of research, contacting and sourcing of archive and interviewees. However for From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! we have a huge head start on that due to how much work has already been done so we aim to film all our new interviews by the end of October 2015 with an intensive post-production to follow to meet those dates.

We will keep our backers regularly updated on progress right throughout production of From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! providing screen shots, clips and early sequences along the way in our Backer Zone just as we did before. This was actually a highlight for us during our previous campaign because we thoroughly enjoyed discussing and sharing sequences in the Backer Zone from the film with our backers.

THE TARGET

The previous campaign successfully raised enough to make the main film and the extras we promised to go along with it. The funds being asked for on this campaign are strictly for the production of this bonus content. in the form of a 2nd disc for physical backers and as a download for digital backers. As previously mentioned it is far easier for us prepare material (extended sequences, extra unseen content etc) while we are actually editing the main feature.

If we successfully hit our target for the production of this extra material any extra funds secured here will be used in improving that extra content by creating more of it such as an extra hour on top (2.5 hours is the maximum we can fit on a bonus disc) and also by adding subtitles in at least English, French, Spanish, and German.

THE REWARDS

We have some wonderful rewards for this campaign! Once the campaign was up and running previously many incredibly generous developers got in touch and offered to sign and create certain special perks for us.

Developer A6 POSTCARDS and A2 POSTERS

One of the most popular was the creation of the signed and unsigned postcard collection sets. This consists of a series of unique, high quality, specially created A6 postcard sets featuring game artwork specific to a certain developer or company. Very much by popular demand this perk is back one final time for those that missed it the first time. Backers have the option of pledging for as many sets as they wish (signed or unsigned).

Developer A6 Postcards

The cost is £10per setunsigned, or £40 per set signed. They are available at any pledge level but you must increaseyour pledge level accordingly and you must send a message (not post a comment please) to us stating whichset or sets you have opted for so we both have a record of this.

POSTERS

Many of you have asked for posters, we are happy to announce both signed and unsigned A2 glossy Posters are now available. Simply choose an image from the postcards pictured above, from left to right (1-4) so for example you would say Team 17 poster number 2 (for the Alien Breed cover). All Posters are rolled and supplied in tubes! Simply state signed (£35) or unsigned (£20) per poster and raise your pledges accordingly and send us a message that you have done so. Please note the creation of the A2 posters will require slight image resizing (postcards have a slightly different shape to posters) that will be approved by the developer themselves prior to shipping.

Oliver Frey Exclusive Slip Case

One of the key things for us is making sure that all our backers not only get a great film to the highest possible standard, that they actually enjoy and feel part of not only this campaign but far beyond that, with all backers feeling part of the entire production of the film. Most important for us is that this version, the backer version of From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! is unique and never to be repeated by us again once the film is released to backers. We do this by having the incredibly talented, British video game magazine artist Oliver Frey (CRASH, ZZAP! 64) design a unique and new cover that is only ever to be made available to pre-order backers, and that cover artwork for this film is displayed right at the top of this campaign, that way you can always point to it and know that you helped make it, you were one of those who backed and believed so as well as getting a great film, you get something that is truly unique because by owning a copy with this cover means you were one of those that funded it into existence! In addition for a slightly higher contribution we are also producing a slip case (see image immediately above)with the Oliver Frey artwork displayed free of all the film text and logo's for you to enjoy the artwork in all its glory making this a rare, unique and highly collectible item.

In addition when you look over the perks you will see we have fantastic A2 Posters of Oliver's new cover artwork, T-Shirts, caps and mouse mats, and for higher tiers we even have interviewee photos taken on-set and signed by that specific interviewee.

GamesYouLoved

A special thanks to GamesYouLoved who have been major supporter of our movies over the years. GamesYouLoved is born out a love of retro games of every description from your childhood. By being reminded of the retro games through images and video, what people say about them and things you were doing at the time, you are unlocking these memories to see, share and enjoy. They love retro gaming!

Risks and challenges

We have been producing professionally produced documentaries for nearly 15 years. Our last two motion pictures 'Burlesque Undressed' and 'From Bedrooms to Billions' were released all over the world. Though complex projects involving a great deal of filming in different countries we got them completed and on budget. We are aware of many of the pitfalls, especially when dealing with budgets and schedules and we like to think we don't compromise on quality.

Our previous film raised a lot more on Kickstarter than we asked for so we put that extra budget right back into the film and delivered an extra hour of content for 'all' our backers. In addition we believe in running an open handed campaign, when people write to us there is no corporation or person in-between, the response comes back from us as our backers were (and still are) incredibly special to us both.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £65 or more
About $98

DVD of The Amiga Years! plus a digital download of the film, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, an Amiga Years! A2 poster designed by Oliver Frey, a pre-order exclusive collectable slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £70 or more
About $106

Blu-ray of The Amiga Years! plus a digital download of the film, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, an Amiga Years! A2 poster designed by Oliver Frey, a pre-order exclusive collectable slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £115 or more
About $174

DVD of The Amiga Years! plus a digital download of the film. You will also get your name in the end credits, an Amiga Years! A2 poster designed by Oliver Frey, mouse mat, an Amiga Years! T-Shirt, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, a pre-order exclusive collectable cardboard slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £120 or more
About $182

Blu-ray of The Amiga Years! plus a digital download of the film. You will also get your name in the end credits, an Amiga Years! A2 poster designed by Oliver Frey, mouse mat, an Amiga Years! T-Shirt, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, a pre-order exclusive collectable cardboard slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About $378

VIP PACK: Blu-ray or DVD (please specify your choice) of The Amiga Years! signed by the Directors plus a digital download of the film. You will also get your name in the end credits, an Amiga Years! mouse mat, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, an Amiga Years! T-Shirt, cap and the A2 Oliver Frey poster signed by Oliver Frey. A collectable set of 5 signed photographs taken on set with interviewees, a pre-order exclusive collectable cardboard slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £350 or more
About $530

OLIVER FREY + VIP PACK - Blu-ray or DVD (please specify your choice) of The Amiga Years! signed by the Directors, a digital download of the film plus a signed and framed Oliver Frey print of the concept art alongside the completed final film artwork. You will also get your name in the end credits, an Amiga Years! mouse mat, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, an Amiga Years! T-Shirt, cap and the A2 Oliver Frey poster signed by Oliver Frey. A collectable set of 5 signed photographs taken on set with interviewees,a pre-order exclusive collectable cardboard slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £545 or more
About $825

BULLFROG SIGNED AMIGA BUNDLE: You will receive a 'boxed' and working Amiga A500 computer signed by Bullfrog legends Peter Molyneux, Glenn Corpes, Sean Cooper and Paul McLaughlin along with beautifully printed high quality glossy A2 signed posters of Populous, Syndicate, Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper and a signed boxed Amiga copies of ‘Populous’, ‘Theme Park’ and 'Syndicate'. This pledge also includes all the items listed in the £120 level (please indicate if you prefer DVD rather than Blu-ray!)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £5,000 or more
About $7,566

Executive Producer: As an Executive Producer on The Amiga Years! you will get a copy of The Amiga Years - Special Edition! signed by the Directors plus a digital download of the SE version of the film and your name will appear as an Executive Producer in the front intro credits to the film. You will also receive 2 tickets to the film premiere and your name will be entered onto the IMDB as an Executive Producer. In addition you will also receive the VIP pack which contains an Amiga Years! mouse mat, a unique 5 postcard set of film cells from the film, an Amiga Years! T-Shirt, cap, the A2 Oliver Frey poster signed by Oliver Frey, a collectable set of 5 signed photographs taken on set with interviewees, a pre-order exclusive collectable cardboard slip case with the Oliver Frey artwork and access to the backer zone!